KEVIN MICHAEL BATES

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KEVIN MICHAEL BATES

April 6, 1969 - April 21, 2023

Far too soon, Kevin Michael Bates passed on away April 21, 2023, in Toronto, Ontario.



Beloved son, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend, he will be greatly missed by his family and friends. Predeceased by grandparents, Matthew and Pearl, his uncles, Allan and Ray, cousin Darren, he is survived by his mom Lorna, dad Barry (Eleanor), younger brother Darryl (Pauline), his cherished nephew and niece, Eton and Emme, and many cousins.



Kevin was born and raised in Winnipeg, he loved hockey, baseball, football, and golf. He was a determined competitor and hard worker. His organized sport of choice was hockey where he excelled and was a Winnipeg South Monarch until he was 17. He was an avid jogger, jogging several times a week for decades. His love of sports continued into adulthood. Being a huge and knowledgeable fan of the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and Toronto Raptors, he attended many games for all. He went to countless Blue Jays home games, and visited many other MLB ballparks to watch the Twins, Red Sox, Yankees and Mets. He also enjoyed going to NFL and NHL games, with trips to see the Buffalo Bills and New York Rangers. And he totally loved watching hockey clips of Eton and Emme.



Kevin grew up in River Heights and went to John Dafoe, JB Mitchell, and Kelvin High School. He was a bright student, graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) degree from the University of Manitoba and becoming a Chartered Accountant in 1998. He enjoyed a successful career in both Winnipeg and Toronto where he specialized in financial accounting policy and reporting.



In his youth he summered at lakes throughout Manitoba with his family, spending many summers at Hillside, Matlock, Sandy Hook, Victoria Beach and Falcon Lake.



Kevin had a passion for travelling, visiting many places over the years with his friends and family including Banff, Lake Louise, Montreal, Boston, Detroit, New York City, Washington, Buffalo, San Francisco, Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Acapulco, Barbados, the Bahamas, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Turks and Caicos, Aruba, and Hawaii among others.



Kevin visited Toronto many times before deciding to make it his home in 2006. He absolutely loved living in the entertainment district next to Rogers Centre, jogging on the waterfront, walking to work, not needing a car, and being so close to the action that he could sit on his balcony to watch the Blue Jays if he wanted to.



Kevin was especially close with his brother, visiting each other seven or eight times a year after his move to Toronto. They would frequently hike around Toronto and Winnipeg. Summer or winter, they could be found grilling at the barbecue and watching sports. They attended many sporting events together over the years including watching the Jets, Bombers, Jays, Leafs, Moose, Marlies, Raptors, Argos, Twins, Mets, Rangers, 100th Grey Cup and 2006 Canadian Open. Trips to spring training and Dodgers stadium were likely future destinations.



We love you and we miss you. In addition to your companionship, we will also greatly miss your insight into anything sports related, current events, cooking, what's good in entertainment, work, and life in general. It greatly saddens us that we will not be able to share with you the future successes of your niece and nephew. We know that you will forever be with us.



Having many pets over his life (Maggie, Lucy, PJ and Emily), Kevin had a special place in his heart for dogs. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the Winnipeg Humane Society or the Toronto Humane Society.

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 10, 2023